In this Friday Jan.19, 2018 photo aid workers from the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms help refugees and migrants to disembark from the rescue vessel, at the port of Pozzallo, in Sicily, Italy. (AP Photo/Santi Palacios)

In this Thursday Jan. 18, 2018 photo Guillermo Cañardo, a doctor from the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms, assists an Eritrean child as the organization's rescue vessel heads to Italy with more than 500 refugees and migrants on board. (AP Photo/Santi Palacios)

In this Thursday Jan. 18, 2018 photo a Sub-Saharan baby rests aboard the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms vessel after being rescued off the Libyan coast when they were trying to reach European soil, north of Sabratha, Libya. (AP Photo/Santi Palacios)

In this Thursday Jan. 18, 2018 photo a doctor from the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms assists an Eritrean woman as the organization's rescue vessel heads to Italy with more than 300 refugees and migrants on board. (AP Photo/Santi Palacios)

In this Friday Jan.19, 2018 photo aid workers from the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms wait to disembark the lifeless bodies of an Eritrean man and 2 babies from the organization's rescue vessel, at the port of Pozzallo, in Sicily, Italy. (AP Photo/Santi Palacios)

In this Friday Jan.19, 2018 photo Sub-Saharan refugees and migrants look to the Italian authorities from aboard the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms rescue vessel, at the port of Pozzallo, in Sicily, Italy. (AP Photo/Santi Palacios)

In this Tuesday Jan. 16, 2018 photo a wooden boat used by 450 refugees and migrants, mostly from Eritrea, remains abandoned off the Libyan coast after they were rescued by aid workers of the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms, 34 miles north of Kasr-El-Karabulli, Libya. (AP Photo/Santi Palacios)

In this Friday Jan.19, 2018 photo women and children from Eritrea sing and pray to celebrate their arrival to Europe aboard the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms rescue vessel, Pozzallo, Sicily, Italy. (AP Photo/Santi Palacios)

In this Friday Jan. 19, 2018 photo children from Eritrea rest on board the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms rescue ship as the vessel heads to the Italian port of Pozzallo, in Sicily. (AP Photo/Santi Palacios)

Spain rescues 56 migrants crossing Mediterranean Sea

Jan. 20, 2018

MADRID (AP) — Spain's maritime rescue service says it has saved 56 migrants trying to make the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea from Africa to European shores.

The service says two boats were intercepted by its search craft Saturday morning. One boat was carrying 23 men in the Strait of Gibraltar. A second boat with 33 men of sub-Saharan origin was located east of the Strait near Alboran Island.

Europe's border watchdog said Friday that 22,880 migrants had arrived in Spain last year by sea, up from 10,231 in 2016. It also warned it expects the number of migrants using the western Mediterranean route to Europe to increase this year.

The International Organization for Migration says 2,583 migrants entered Europe by sea this year through Wednesday, and 199 others died en route.